Degree Requirements
Overview
The two-year Master of Music (M.M.) degree in Music Performance trains students as informed artist-performers. In addition to demonstrating technical mastery of their instrument or voice, students are expected to exhibit a thorough understanding of the theoretical, pedagogical, and historical aspects of the major, as well as a knowledge of the literature of their performance area.
Contacts
Administrative Contacts
Graduate Advisor | Director of Graduate Studies
Scholarships & Assistantships
Graduate Admissions Coordinator
HR Coordinator
Graduate Coordinator
Operations & Scheduling
Division Contacts
Division Head, Chamber & Collaborative
Area Head & Counselor
Faculty
-
James Maverick
Lecturer in Collaborative Piano -
Alexandre Maynegre-Torra
Collaborative Pianist -
Rick Rowley
Associate Professor of Practice
Vocal Coaching & Collaborative Piano -
Colette T Valentine
Associate Professor of Collaborative Piano -
Patti Wolf
Assistant Professor of Practice in Collaborative Piano
Degree Requirements
The M.M. in Collaborative Piano Performance requires 32 hours of registered coursework, a comprehensive examination, and two recitals.
Major Coursework
Hours | Course Number | Course Title/Description |
---|---|---|
8 | PIA 480V | Graduate Piano: Collaborative Piano (2 semesters) |
6 | MUS 698RA and MUS 698RB | Master’s Recital Two chamber recitals are required for this degree program. |
6 | MUS 387L 12 | Advanced Studies in Music Literature: Collaborative Piano Literature (2 semesters) |
2 | MUS 180V | Collaborative Piano: Vocal and Instrumental (2 semesters, can be taken concurrently) |
A comprehensive examination is required of all master’s degree candidates, usually in the final semester.
Supporting Work
Hours | Course Number | Course Title/Description |
---|---|---|
3 | MUS 388T | Analytical Techniques |
2 | MUS 280D | Topics in Diction and Translation |
5-6 | Additional music courses. Recommended courses include: OPR 280, Graduate Opera (opera coaching for pianists) |
Students must demonstrate a proficiency in English, Italian, French, and German diction.
Master’s Recital
Students must perform two Master’s recitals in the fall and spring of the second year of study.
Find recital scheduling procedures on the Butler School Operations website.
Juries
Students must perform a short jury recital at the end of each semester within the first year of study.
Postponements are allowed for extenuating circumstances (injury, death in the family, etc.). No-shows are considered a failure. Postponements will be rescheduled as soon as possible.
Fall & Spring Semester of First Year (25-30 minutes) |
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Mini-recital, including 3-4 different partners and contrasting repertoire |
Students must provide a printed, professional-quality program with brief program notes and, when necessary, song translations for faculty and audience. Collaborative piano faculty members provide comments on jury sheets; the student’s primary teacher will share jury comments.
Advising & Registration
For information about course registration, deadlines, adding and dropping courses and other policies, visit the Graduate School Academic & Registration Policies webpage.
Students who wish to take an independent study course need to fill out a Consent Form. Once the faculty member and Graduate Coordinator have approved your request, the bar to register for the course will be lifted.
To be eligible for fellowships, scholarships and assistantships, graduate students are required to be enrolled full-time (at least 9 hours).
All international students are also required to be enrolled full-time during each long semester, regardless of whether they receive funding from the Butler School of Music.
View a List of Upcoming Courses offered by Musicology & Ethnomusicology
Transferring Coursework
A new doctoral student may petition to substitute up to twelve credits of graduate level coursework completed at another institution for degree requirements at the University of Texas, subject to approval by the Butler School Graduate Studies Committee. This process must be completed during the first semester of enrollment, before the close of the fall advising period.
Courses approved for substitution typically fall into the areas of music history, theory, literature, and pedagogy, as well as chamber music.
Under normal circumstances, transferred coursework should have been completed within the four academic years prior to the start of the doctoral work at UT. The GSC will consider on a case-by-case basis whether coursework completed more than four years prior to the start of doctoral study at the Butler School can count toward the program of study.
Coursework completed for a master's degree at the University of Texas at Austin may be included in the course work for the doctoral degree without a petition form, but is subject to approval by the Graduate Studies Committee chair in Music, the candidate's supervising committee, and the Dean of Graduate Studies.
Graduation Timeline
Semester-by-Semester Overview
Prior to 1st semester
- All students must take the diagnostic examinations in music history and music theory. Additional diagnostic exams are administered for students in composition, voice, jazz and music theory.
Semester 3
- Registration for the following if required – MUS 698RA, 698A.
- M.M. Piano Performance students take their group comprehensive exam.
- With the approval of their studio teacher, some performance area students may perform their thesis recital.
Semester 4
- Students must submit a completed M.M. degree check form to verify their completion of coursework.
- Students must apply to graduate – check graduate school website for deadline.
- Registration for the following if required – MUS 698RB, 698B, 398M.
- M.M. String students take their group comprehensive exam.
- All other students take individual comprehensive exams as arranged by their studio teacher (for performance area students) or their supervising professor (for academic area students).
- Most performance area students perform their thesis recital.
- M.M. Music & Human Learning – Non-Thesis Track complete their master’s project.
- M.M. Music Theory, M.M. Music & Human Learning – Thesis Track and M.M. Composition students complete their master’s thesis or master’s report and submit it to the Graduate School.
- M.M. Ethnomusicology and M.M. Musicology students complete their master’s report and submit it to the Graduate School.
Important Links & Forms
BSOM Graduate Handbook 2024-2025
Academic
Office of Graduate Studies
Including fellowship, employment, and TA and AI information
Texas Global, International Student Scholars
Registrar
Registration, course schedules, registration bars, etc
Consent Form for independent study or other restricted individual instruction courses
My UT
One-stop shop for tuition bill, your course schedule, etc….
Financial
Merit-Based Music Scholarships
Graduate Student Travel Award Application
School of Music Travel Award Application
TA and AI Assistance – Tuition Reduction Benefit
Living in TX as a new student
Establishing Residence in Texas
On-Campus Procedural Info
Butler School Internal Operations Website
Parking & Transportation
UT parking permits, maps, shuttle routes, etc.
Information Technology Services
UT EID help
Health & Wellness
Career Assistance
Forms
For Master's students
For DMA/PhD students
- Course Substitution Petition Form
- DMA/PhD Course Outline
- How to fill out your Course Outline
- Request for Final Oral Examination ("Pink" sheet)
For Artist Diploma students
General forms
- Graduate School Travel Award Application
- School of Music Travel Award Application
- Consent Form - for ind. study or other completely restricted individual instruction courses